Electric cigar or lamp lighter.



' PATBNTED JUNE 20, 1905 F. W. & W. H. SMITH. ELECTRIC CIGAR OR LAMP LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1902. RENEWED JAN. 9, 1905 %vexn tow 351 H'mir W UNITED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK WV. SMITH AND WILLIAM H. SMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC ClGA R OR LAMP LIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,738, dated June 20, 1905.

Application filed August 1,1902. Renewed January 9,1905. Serial No. 240,237.

To all 1072,0121, it may concern.-

Be it known that we.'FRANK W. SMI'rI-I and TILLIAM H. SMITH, citizens of the United States, residing at No. 109 Waverly Place, New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Cigar or Lamp Lighters; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in cigar-lighting devices, and has for its object the construction of a portable device containing within the holding-receptacle thereof a fuel-tank, electric batteries and wires, forming igniting means, and a lighting-torch, said parts being compact, easily arranged and secured in position, and efficient in operation; and for this and other purposes it consists'of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a central vertical section of a device cmbodying our invention. Fig. 2 represents a partial section on line {0 w and a partial section on y y, Fig. 1.

Similar characters indicate like parts in both figures of the drawings.

The receptacle or case A of the device, which while preferably of the form of a jug, as shown, but which may be of any suitable form, is composed of a top piece A and body part B, the form having a handle A by which the device as an entirety may readily be moved from place to place, as desired. The lower edge of said piece A is provided with a groove m, in which the upper end of the body B is inserted, so that said parts may be securely held in place by means of a lug8 on the body B fitting in an opening in the rim of the piece A and by passing a screw 9 through openings in contacting portions of said parts A and B.

Secured firmly within the body B near its lower edge is a metal table or shelf K, having a depending flange which serves both to secure it to the body and also to stiffen and strengthen the same. The said table has a circular depressed portion S, with a central slot 1), for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

C designates a tank for containing the woodalcohol or other fuel used. The said tank has secured to its upper face the latch t, consisting of two arms extending in opposite directions and adapted to enter the slot 1) and by a turning of the tank to pass over and engage the upper surface of the depressed portion S of the shelf, so as to retain the tank within the body 13. Secured to the depressed portion of the shelf K are keepers t, said keepers being fastened at one end to said shelf and free at their other ends, so that the said armst can pass under said keepers and be held against the same. On the under side of the body of the tank are depressions Z to aid in turning it when either placing it in or removing it from the body. Secured firmly to the bottom of the tank is a felt cloth or mat 7s, having openings coinciding with the de pressions Z, the said mat being intended to aid in protecting the table or other place on which the device is placed from any leakage or spilling of the oil fuel within the tank and also to assist in preventing any overturning of the same by giving a broader base to the receptacle. WVithin the tank is an expansile coil-spring f, which at its lower end is secured to the bottom thereof and is filled with cotton or other absorbent material, which serves to draw up the fuel to the wicking i, which is supported on said spring, extending into the tank, and also, as shown, resting on the bottom thereof. Bearing tightly upon said wicking is thelower end of the guide-tube E, of brass and having at its upper end an outwardly-flaring lip and being near its lower end connected to the tank E by a cap a, so as to form a tight joint or connection with the same, said tube forming the only outlet from said tank. Owing to the wicking entirely spanning the lower end of the tube, the tank is effectively closed, thereby preventing the escape of inflammable gas and the chance admission of flame inside the tank as well as preventing to a great extent the evaporation of the fuel when the torch is removed from the tube.

The electric portion of the device consists of the porcelain base D, detachably secured by screws to an enlarged portion '1 of the top piece A, the three dry-cell batteries F, and the spark-conductor G, the said batteries and conductor being supported on the table K. As the batteries and conductor maybe of any well-known construction and as the same are not claimed per sa, no further or specific description nor detail illustration of the same is deemed necessary. In the drawings, Fig. 1, only two cells of the battery are fully shown; but the other one is to the rear of the same, and a top outline thereof is shown at F in Fig. 2. The conductors G are connected with the outer cell of the battery in the usual way,

, there being no invention in the battery or conductors 1901" so. I

Connected with the base D are the terminals Z) and c, suitably connected with the ends of the electric coils G, (see Fig. 2,)the former extending horizontally across the vertical path of the spring tongue or contact a, so as to be engaged thereby when the latter is forced upward by contact of the cup 9 of the torch therewith, and the latter, 0, being formed of two tongues, constitutinga guide for said cup. The movable torch or lighter is composed of a handle H, a stem or rod I, and a cup g. The former (handle H) also forms the stopper for the mouth of the receptacle, and thus prevents the accidental admission of dirt or other foreign substances within the same. The stem 1 is provided with an elastic gasket or piston 72/, secured fixedly thereto, and which, fitting closely in the tube E, serves to prevent evaporation of the fuel when the torch is in place therein. The cup 7 at the lower end of the stem is conical in shape, having a flaring rim adapted to rest on the wicking i, and is filled with a packingrnineral Wool, cotton, or other suitable absorbent material.

The central portion of the base D is provided with an opening, the walls a of which extend upward above the main portion of the base and slope inwardly, so as to form aguide for the insertion of the torch. The wall a is vertically slotted, the spring a being guided and protected in the movements in one of these slots and the two tongues or parts of the guide terminal or contact 0 in two of the other slots, the remaining two serving for the passage of air to the ignited fuel in the cup 9.

The table K is provided with an opening 7, through which theclipped ends of the cigar may readily be removed from the receptacle. The torch is then grasped by the handle H and removed from the receptacle. The mineral wool in the cup 9 having become thoroughly saturated with the fuel while resting on the wicking 2', as the torch is lifted upwardly the flaring lower edge of the cup g comes in contact with the guide-terminal 0 and the metal spring a, forcing the latter into contact with the terminal 5, thereby completing the circuit, the metallic cup 9 being in touch with the spring a and creating a spark, and thereby igniting the wool in the cup 9', so that the same can be used as a lighter. The insertion of the torch into the receptacle does not produce a spark, as the spring a, being pressed downward, is not then brought into contact with the terminal 6.

It will be noticed that the contact of the spring a with the contact I) is at an angle, causing a wiping contact, which keeps the contact-surfaces clean and bright. All the contact-pieces-viz, the spring a, the tongue I), the guide 0, and the cup gare preferably formed of German silver, which efliciently withstands the effects of sparking and oxidation.

It will be seen that the device as described is simple in character, the parts easily assembled, and if any are injured readily replaced.

By having the joint or connection of the tube E with the tank as described there is no danger of an explosion by an igniting of escaping gas or fuel from the tank, while evaporation is eflectually prevented by the gasket it when the torch is in the tube.

Having thus described our invention, what we desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent 1. A portable lighting device consisting of a two-part receptacle having an open bottom, a detachable fuel-tank secured in the base of said receptacle, electric batteries and conductor with contacts in' said receptacle, and a torch with a cupadapted to receive fuel from said tank, said cup adapted in its withdrawal from said receptacle to complete an electric circuit substantially as described.

2. A portable lighting device consisting of a two-part receptacle with an open bottom, a detachable fuel-tank secured to a shelf in said bottom, electric batteries and conductor on said shelf an insulating-base secured to the upper part of said receptacle, terminals secured to said base and in connection with said conductor, a metal spring secured to said base and adapted to contact with one of said terminals, and a torch having a cup adapted to carry an absorbent to receive fuel from said tank, said cup being adapted on its withdrawal from said receptacle to complete an electric circuit thereby generating a spark, substantially as described.

3. A portable lighting device consisting of a receptacle with a shelf therein, said shelf having a central elongated slot with a surrounding depressed portion, a fuel-tank having at its upper face a latch adapted to enter said slot and engage on the rotation of said tank the upper face of said shelf, a torch with cup adapted to enter said receptacle and receive fuel from said tank and means within said receptacle to ignite the fuel carried by said torch on its withdrawal from said receptacle, said parts being combined substantially as described.

4. In a device for the purpose set forth; a receptacle in combination with a fuel-tank having within the same an expansile spring secured to its bottom, and filled with an absorbent material and a wicking supported on said spring and extending into said tank, substantially as described.

5. In a device for the purpose set forth; a fuel-tank having a coil-spring with an absorbent filling therein and a wicking supported by said spring and extending into said tank, and a tube having its lower end spanned by said wieking, and closely secured near its lower end to said tank, said parts being combined substantially as described.

6. In a device for the purpose set forth; a fuel-tank having an upwardly-extending tube connected therewith, a wicking supported in said tank and spanning the lower end of said tube, said tube being so connected with said tank as to be the only outlet therefrom, and a torch having a stem with a gasket closely fitting in said tube, said parts being combined substantially as described.

7 In a device for the purpose set forth; the combination of an electric igniting means, including the terminal or contact I), the springtongue (0 adapted to engage said contact Z), with a wiping contact and the guide-contact c, with a torch having the cup g with a flaring lower end, substantially as described.

8. In a device for the purpose set forth a receptacle, an insulating-base secured therein, electric batteries and a conductor, terminals secured to said base in electric connection with said conductor, a fuel-tank, a torch having a cup receiving fuel from said tank, a metal spring secured to said base, said torch being adapted to contact with said spring thereby completing an electric circuit, and said base having inclined walls for guides to said torch, said parts being combined substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have 'aflixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK W. SMITH. WILLIAM H. SMITH.

Witnesses:

WM. B. SMITH, WILLIAM L. CHAMBERLIN. 

